Scarborough

We dragged the kids to the supermarket for one last time (hopefully).

Scarborough

We’ve started to pack up the boat getting ready for our return to Melbourne.  In between jobs and to relieve the kids of boredom we hit the park.

Scarborough

The kids got a haircut, Chloe’s first for the trip and Luke’s 3^rd.

Bribie Island to Scarborough

The previous night we anchored of Bribie Island, happy to stop at 8pm after 14 hours sailing.  

Once again our travels were dictated by the tide so we left Bribie Island around 8am.  We only had an hour to sail/motor to the marina at Scarborough and were moored and coffee machine on before we knew it.

Pelican Bay to Bribie Island

An early departure so we could cross the Wide Bay Bar with the right tidal flow and we were rewarded with a stunning sunrise.

We had light west to northwest winds and calm sea.  It was a beautiful day and very fitting for our last full sailing day for the trip.

With the weather so good and the extended forecast not so good we decided to bypass Mooloolaba and keep pushing on to Brisbane.   I was disappointed not to revisit Mooloolaba however we weren’t keen on being stuck there indefinitely.

Just before dusk in Moreton Bay, we had our closest encounter with a whale to date who put on a show for us, breaching clear out of the water a number of times.

Tin Can Bay to Pelican Bay

We left Tin Can Bay in the morning and anchored at Pelican Bay near the entrance to the Wide Bay Bar for our departure tomorrow.

We hit the beach for a swim, kick of the footy and a bit of hopscotch!

Garry’s Anchorage to Tin Can Bay

Although we didn’t have far to go, we had to leave early due to the tides.  This meant we got to see the sunrise as well as the fog and also start to acclimatise for the cold weather that will greet us in Melbourne!

We found a pub with Foxtel for the North v St Kilda game and although it didn’t look too flash, it ended up being quite good, with reasonable food, a kids area for Chloe, a massive screen and we even had sound so we could hear the commentary for Boomers record breaking game!

Hervey Bay to Garry’s Anchorage

Through the Great Sandy Straits we had to work the tides to ensure we didn’t run aground.  We left about 10am and didn’t set the anchor down until 4pm.  

The kids took advantage of the flat water and got creative, while Rich and I spent the entire time navigating through the channel markers and slowing down over the shallows.  At one stage we had 40cm under the keel! 

Hervey Bay

We had planned to leave this morning but we were waiting on a parcel being delivered.  So we hung around the Marina, kicking the soccer ball and doing laundry.  Unfortunately our parcel hadn’t arrived but seeing as the wind had piped in, we weren’t too disappointed that we hadn’t left.

Hervey Bay

We spent the morning at the shops courtesy of the hire car from the Marina.  In the afternoon we walked along the beach kicking the footy and soccer ball.  We stopped halfway for ice cream!

Bundaberg to Hervey Bay

We left Bundaberg just after 6am so we could take advantage of the tides/currents.  We had light head winds and a beautiful blue sky.   

Rich was trailing a lure behind the boat as he has done almost every day we have sailed and just after getting off the phone to mate telling him we’ve hardly caught anything, bang goes the reel.  Luke noticed it first and then it was ‘battle stations’ we eased off the power, furled the headsail and Rich grabbed the rod.  It took Rich about 10 minutes to reel in the fish.

Bundaberg

We took the courtesy bus into the town of Bundaberg and Rich and I reminisced about the last time we were here, which was almost 12 years ago, when we returned from our Pacific trip and our first port of call back to Australia was Bundaberg.   

We were a bit stunned when we walked down to the river to discover that the Marina we had stayed at 12 years ago had washed away in the 2013 floods here.

Bundaberg

Last night we anchored in the Burnett River, so after a big sleep in, we headed into the marina.  We spent the day chilling out after 5 days of sailing and a lot of time in the laundromat!

Digby Island to Bundaberg

Happy Birthday Rich.  The day started off well with a beautiful sunrise, witnessed by me as I was the only one awake!

The kids had organised a treasure hunt for Rich for his birthday which led to his birthday card, yes a treasure hunt on a boat and yes only a card no presents!

We celebrated with coffee and scones for morning tea and it was smooth sailing until about 3pm when the wind strengthened and it became a little rolly polly.  The wind was gusty, one minute 12 knots, the next 27 and this lasted for about 4 hours until we pulled into Bundaberg at 8pm after 40 hours of sailing.

Digby Island to Bundaberg

We left Digby at 5.15am under a full moonlight sky, dodging between the anchored boats.  The wind was light but still a head wind.  Throughout the day there was little or no wind and calm seas.  

A number of times during the day we spotted whales and even had one crazy dolphin doing somersaults in front of the boat.

Whale watching

As time approached the start of the North v Collingwood game, Luke was stressing out as we could not get TV coverage, however miraculously it started to work at the bounce of the ball.

The football killed a few hours of a long night ahead and after a good win, everyone went to bed happy and I took the first shift for the night sailing.

Keswick Island to Digby Island

Another early departure around 6am to get the flooding  current and we had plans to head for Digby Island unless of course we got favourable winds and could push on to the Percy Islands.

Unfortunately we still had head winds but thankfully lighter than the previous two days, however it meant stopping at lunch time at Digby rather than sailing on through the night.  We were surprised but by late afternoon there was 8 other boats anchored off this one little island.

Shaw Island to Keswick Island

We left early around 6.30am trying to take advantage of the current heading south with a flooding tide, however it meant we had wind against tide so we were punching into chop with head winds – not much fun.  We thought the weather was improving!

Keswick Island was really pretty and they even had an airport and runway!

Airport and cafe!!

Airlie Beach to Shaw Island

We woke up to more overcast weather but decided to leave anyway.  We had 20 knots of wind on the nose but slogged it out, thinking this should be our worse day as the forecast was for lighter winds later in the week, plus we only had 30 miles to travel.   After 20 miles we had had enough and stopped at Shaw Island instead of our intended anchorage at Thomas Island. 

Luke eyed the sandy beach as we pulled up to the anchorage so we made the effort and put the dinghy in the water, as we knew this may be our last chance to stretch our legs for a few days.

Airlie Beach

Although eager to get going, none of us were keen on bashing into head winds in the pouring rain, so we decided to stay another day.

The weather cleared up enough for me to winch Rich up the mast for an inspection.  Thankfully that’s all it was and nothing needed fixing or replacing.

Airlie Beach

With the aim of leaving tomorrow, we organised the courtesy car and did another big food shop.  We then took a drive out to Shute Harbour, however it was difficult to see anything through the low lying clouds and rain.  Our plan to leave tomorrow may need reviewing!

Airlie Beach

Although overcast skies, at least the rain had turned to intermittent showers.  We even managed to venture out to a pub to watch the North v Port game late afternoon, however we probably wished we hadn’t.

Airlie Beach

The bad weather finally hit with strong winds overnight and rain.  Although safe and sound in a marina, the gusts of winds funnelling down the hills of Airlie and buffeting the boat , Rich and I were woken often through the night.

Rich poked his head out of the boat in the morning to notice a charter catamaran adjacent to us had broken all its mooring lines and was only hanging on by the power lead. 

The rain did not stop all day and to try to avoid cabin fever , we kept our ourselves busy by baking scones, playing Monopoly  and even doing school work!

Airlie Beach

We dragged the kids off the boat with the pretext of the need for the supermarket and managed a nice long walk, with a few stops along the way – monkey bars and coffee!

Nara Inlet to Airlie Beach via Funnel Bay

With strong winds due the following day and an outboard needing servicing, we had to head back to Airlie Beach.  However it was too nice a day to be stuck in the marina, so we anchored not far from Airlie in Funnel Bay, relaxing and swimming.

Langford Island to Nara Inlet

We spent the morning on One Foot Island, with the boys snorkelling and the girls swimming. 

To ensure a peaceful night’s sleep with no annoying mooring balls we returned to Nara Inlet.  Here we met fellow ‘Cavalier 395’ owners and inspected each other’s boats, with the kids playing ‘spot the difference’.

Chloe happily swam off the back of the boat in Nara Inlet until we we're told there was a Hammerhead shark in the inlet.  That was the end of the swimming..........

Airlie Beach to Langford Island

We had plan to go to Stonehaven Anchorage on the west side of Hook Island however after spotting a better alternative – white sandy beaches, we headed for Langford Island.

 

Airlie Beach

We ventured out to Cannonvale for a big shop using the Marina’s courtesy car.

In the afternoon the boys watched the footy and with North losing I took the opportunity to vacate the boat and do the laundry.

Airlie Beach

Dinner out and a stroll past the Lagoon at Airlie Beach foreshore.

Nara Inlet to Airlie Beach

Rich and Chloe came so close to catching a large Spanish Mackerel yesterday while fishing in the dinghy.  To Rich's huge disappointed it got away and also took his lure in the process.  So this morning he went back out in the dinghy in search of both the lure and hopefully the fish.  He came back with the lure but no fish.

We were getting low on all supplies, food, water and diesel so we headed back to Airlie Beach.  Along the way we spotted whales but they didn't hang around for long.

Hook Island - Nara Inlet

We walked up to the Aboriginal caves with paintings and enjoyed the views from Hook Island looking down Nara Inlet.

Hook Island - Nara Inlet

As we were running low on supplies and desperate to make some biscuits we sent Rich out on the dingy in the hope of finding some friendly boaties with a couple of eggs to spare.  Not only did he return with two eggs, we also had an invitation for drinks that afternoon.